CTO - Fractional

Job Title: Fractional CTO – AI Tools for Residential Design

Location: Hyderabad, India

Please READ Before Applying:

If you're looking for a safe, slow-moving "CTO" gig where you just manage Jira boards and sit in status meetings — this isn't it.

If you're the kind of technical leader who learns fast, ships faster, and wants to build + lead groundbreaking AI tools that change an entire industry , keep reading.

zHeight is a fast-growing U.S.-based startup reimagining residential design and permitting. We help American homeowners and contractors get permits faster, more affordably, and at higher quality — by combining world-class talent with technology and AI.

Our India-based delivery team includes architects and engineers from IITs, NITs, and top global schools — now we're building our core software and AI team to engineer the next generation of internal and client-facing tools that power the future of residential architecture .

We've delivered 100+ permitted projects in California and beyond — and we're just getting started.

As our Fractional CTO , you'll own and drive the development of the tech stack that runs our business — from plan check automation to code compliance engines to AI-powered design workflows .

You'll co-develop with our junior engineers, set technical direction, and ensure we're building fast, building smart, and building for scale.

This role is fractional to start (10–20 hours/week) with a clear path to full-time CTO as we grow.

• Architect and lead the development of our internal & client-facing platforms for residential design workflows
• Build AI-powered tools to automate plan checking, zoning analysis, and code compliance
• Design data-rich systems for tracking, compliance reporting, and performance analytics
• Integrate APIs from permitting databases, AI/LLM models, and 3D/spatial engines
• Establish engineering best practices, code quality standards, and dev ops pipelines
• Mentor and pair-program with junior engineers to accelerate delivery and learning
• Work closely with architects, engineers, and operations to deeply understand workflows
• Rapidly prototype and iterate based on real user feedback
  

• 5+ years in software engineering, with at least 2 years in a technical leadership role
• Deep experience in JavaScript/TypeScript (React + Node) or Python (FastAPI/Django)
• Strong in systems architecture, API design, and integrating third-party services
• Experience working with AI/LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, fine-tuning, embeddings)
• Ability to translate complex operational workflows into scalable software tools
• Bonus: experience in CAD/3D workflows, geospatial data, or building code automation
• You thrive in fast-moving, high-ownership environments and can work hands-on when needed
• You love solving real-world problems in the built environment — and building tools people actually use daily
  

• You need perfect specs before you start coding
• You avoid ambiguity and direct collaboration with users
• You want a slow ramp-up before making an impact
• Use the word "archdriven" in your subject line so we know you actually read this
• You're not comfortable being both architect and builder